There is a big misconception that only fat and sugar impact heart health, but there are many more factors at play. Dr Sanjay Bhojraj, MD, an integrative cardiologist, in an Instagram post dated July 4, 2026, shared other reasons that impact heart health apart from just sugar and fat.
Kitchen utensils are the real culprit
Dr Sanjay Bhojraj highlighted that the modern kitchen setup has become one of the biggest sources of chemical exposure in most of our homes. According to Dr Sanjay, your air fryer or cooking pans might be a culprit. Most basket-style air fryers and non-stick pans utilise a PTFE coating, commonly referred to as Teflon. He highlighted that if used properly, they’re generally considered safe, but once that coating gets scratched, chipped, or starts flaking, tiny fluoropolymer particles can end up in your food, and the coating is more likely to degrade with repeated high heat. That’s my cue to replace them with safer options like stainless steel.
Dr Sanjay highlighted that chronic chemical exposure has been linked to inflammation and metabolic dysfunction.
Dr Sanjay added that those black plastic spatulas and serving spoons sitting next to your stove are the real culprit. Researchers have found that some black plastic kitchen utensils contain flame retardants from recycled electronic waste. Again, one exposure probably isn’t the issue. It’s the cumulative effect of using something every day for years that gets my attention.
Fruits and green vegetables aren’t that healthy
“And those green fruit and vegetable washes that are marketed to seem healthy, aren’t that healthy,” said Dr Sanjay. He highlighted that most contain surfactants and other unnecessary cleaning ingredients. If you want to remove surface residue, soaking produce briefly in a baking soda and water solution has been shown to remove certain pesticide residues more effectively than water alone. You don’t need a bottle with a wellness label to wash an apple. “Less unnecessary chemical exposure, more real food. That’s a trade I’ll make every time,” advised Dr Sanjay.
